There are considerable in vitro and in vivo evidences for remineralization and demineralization occurring simultaneously in incipient enamel caries. In order to "heal"the incipient dental caries, many experiments have been carried out to determine the optimal conditions for remineralization. It was shown that remineralization is affected by different pH, lactic acid concentrations, chemical composition of the enamel, fluoride concentrations, etc.

Eighty specimens from sound permanent teeth without demineralization or cracks, 0.15 mm in thickness, were immersed in lactic acid buffered demineralization solutions for 3 days. Dental caries with a surface zone and subsurface lesion were artificially produced. Groups of 10 specimens were immersed for 10 or 12 days in lactic acid buffered remineralization solutions consisting of pH 4.3 or pH 6.0, and 100, 50, 25, or 10 mM lactic acid. After demineralization and remineralization, images were taken by polarizing microscopy (x100) and micro-computed tomography. The results were obtained by observing images of the specimens and the density of the caries lesions was determined.

As the lactic acid concentration of the remineralization solutions with pH 4.3 was higher, the surface zone of the carious enamel increased and an isotropic zone of the subsurface lesion was found. However, the total decalcification depth increased at the same time.

In the lactic acid buffer solutions with the lower pH and higher lactic acid concentration, there were dynamic changes at the deep area of the dental carious lesion.

The aim of this study was to measure and compare the micro shear bond strengths of the following dentin bonding systems to the dentin surfaces under simulated pulpal pressure; All Bond 2®, Second®, AdheSE®, Adper Prompt L-Pop®. The occlusal surfaces of 180 extracted human molars were prepared so the dentin bonding surfaces could be exposed. The teeth were randomly assigned to 3 equal groups of 60 each and subdivided. The dentin surfaces were treated with the above mentioned bonding system and resin composite cylinders were built up under a simulated pulpal pressure when saline (Group II) or diluted bovine serum (Group III) was used as the pulpal fluid. As a control, the same procedures were performed in the dried dentin surfaces (Group I). After one day of storage in water, the micro shear bond strengths were measured using an EZ tester. Group II and III showed significantly lower shear bond strength than Group I statistically (p < 0.05). SEbond® and AdheSE® showed no difference among the different dentin condition. In the Adper Prompt L-Pop®, a simulated pulpal pressure were applied to the specimens using diluted bovine serum, which showed a higher strength than the specimens in which saline was used (p < 0.05).